Review: Leave Me Alone!

Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bears, aliens, and a knitting grandma... what's not to love about this book!

View all my reviews

Review: Moana and the Ocean

Moana and the Ocean by Heather Knowles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Illustrations were beautiful.

View all my reviews

Review: Chicks and Salsa

Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This would be a fantastic book to pair with a cooking lesson or even just to read and try some different snack foods!

View all my reviews

The Superhero Librarian Within | Take the Lead

The Superhero Librarian Within | Take the Lead

A few web tools I have fallen in love with....

So, there are so many web tools out there that sometimes it can make your head spin. I try and goodbye many of them, but every so often I find ones that I really, really love. Here are some of my recent favorites...

1.  Bundlr - First, I have to say I love the name. It does exactly what it sounds like. It lets you bundle up bits of information into nice, easy to access packages you can share. Yes, I know it sounds like Pinterest, but trust me... this has it's own unique benefits. It is super simple to use to- create a bundle, copy and paste the URL you want to save. That's it. Bundlr fills in the description of the site for you!!! How sweet is that? Also, you follow other people's bundles- why reinvent something when someone else has already done it and is willing to share? Why do I love this tool (and why do you need to try it instead of just pinning away)? Bundlr is great for sharing whole sites, not just one item on a site. It has a really clean layout without distractions. If you are a fan of Sqworl, this is like that, but without the ads and the descriptions are written for you. If you never used Sqworl, then go check it out (here is one I created to help our health students research information for their Public Service Announcements: http://sqworl.com/z3sutm. I like that you get to write brief descriptions underneath each site that you add. It's great for keeping a class focused on just the sites you want them to look at and you don't have to worry about them finding all of your favorite drink recipes or baby shower party ideas. They also have some new features like the Sqworl Explorer that you should check out! Here are the bundles I've created: http://bundlr.com/u/nerdeelibrarian
2. S'more  - Create beautiful digital flyers in snap. Nice layouts, user friendly, and easy to share. I used this to create a flyer for a "So you want to be a school librarian" information session I was hosting. It was a breeze to share the link and get the word out. I could also print the flyer and share it that way. S'more even provided me with analytics so I could see how often my flyer had been viewed and other such details. I've also used it to differentiate my library in-services. This way people could choose to learn more about things that interested them, and I could lead them (without me having to clone myself). The S'more provided resource links, guiding questions, etc... and I was free to circulate and give face-to-face assistance as needed. Here are a few examples: https://www.smore.com/qnsjm and https://www.smore.com/h9dbf.
3. Tackk - This tool lets you just make beautiful digital pages. Their photo bank is GORGEOUS! You can use them for a lite flipped learning experience (similar to how I used S'more for that in-service) or if you are on Destiny- they make awesome homepages! There are tons of other ways you could use it as well. 

To SIRS with Love...

As promised, here are the slides from yesterday's presentation. Hopefully, you all feel like you "Leveled Up" your knowledge of these databases. I forgot to highlight the fact that SIRS Decades is all primary sources - perfect for History Fair research. Also, here is a quick cheat sheet of where to find the educator resources/promotional tools for each database:

• SIRS Discoverer - right hand sidebar (Database Features) towards the bottom (Educator Resources)
• SIRS Knowledge Source - bottom middle  (Educator Resources)
• SIRS Decades - bottom middle (Librarian's Corner)<iframe 

To SIRS with Love... from Dedra Van Gelder

And last but not least... if you or someone you know is a certified school librarian still looking for work, consider applying to Charles County Public Schools. We currently have four elementary schools in need of enthusiastic and qualified librarians. Click here to learn more.

Great article just in time before Hispanic Heritage Month ends....

I read this article this morning and found myself both cracking up and then nodding in agreement. Reading a book (or poem or play or anything really) where the characters have authentic voices is fun. It's real. We don't all sound the same, so why should the characters we read about. I think this is especially important when writing for children and young adults. Kids should be able to see (and hear) themselves in books - the mirror effect. Equally important are those books that give kids a window to the world and let them see and experience something beyond themselves and their own culture. If you've got a few minutes (it's a short article), then give it a read. Gracias, Noemi Gamel! Your article started my day off on the right foot. Three Reasons Why I Use Spanish Phrases in My Writing by Noemi Gamel  Also, if this is your first time visiting the Latin@s in Kid Lit website.... de nada. :) Thank you, Dan Gattuso, for helping me discover the site!